Chapter 52

Downtown Los Angeles, California, United States

Emperor hovered down lower over the top of the yellow sports car. That gave Gen the opportunity to pull her leg around and slide off the side. She leapt from Emperor's back, adrenaline and triumph pulsing in her veins as she landed on the hood of the sleek car.

Her eyes blazed with the righteous fury of a warrior ripped from their time and bent on protecting it from thieves. The Director of Security looked like a ghost as he peered oddly through the other side of the glass at the crazed woman, kneeling on his car and glaring at him from above.

Hamilton Dixon was strangely struggling behind a pillow of sorts that appeared to be filled with air. The thing must have shot out when the side of the car careened into the lamppost, Gen reasoned. Currently, the other side of the car was pinned against the pole, blocking that exit to the car. Gen didn't really know how these vehicles worked or opened up, but she was going to break this one in half to get to the scoundrel inside.

Pulling up her fist, Gen slammed it into the metal under her, vibrating the car. It might have hurt to smash her knuckles into the hard surface, but her gloves served as armor. Not only that, but the adrenaline filling her blood made her feel invincible.

"Get out here, you worthless coward! Face me, you son of a dung beetle. I'm going to tear you in half, you pile of horse shit!"

"No-No-No!" Hamilton Dixon stuttered, shaking his head erratically, trying to back up more in his car, but with no place to retreat to. The man's face was a mask of desperation and defeat as he found himself cornered in the car surrounded by fire and with a rage-filled warrior atop it.

Gen lifted her fist, about to smash through the glass to reach the thief and liar on the other side. A swoosh followed by a jolting wind and a change of lighting made her pause. Glancing over her shoulder, Gen realized that Emperor had extinguished the wall of flames encircling the sports car. The purple dragon stood beside the vehicle, an amused expression on his face.

Hamilton Dixon screamed from inside the car, now pushing to the far side, trying to get away from the dragon that lurked beside his window. The Director of Security seemed more like a scared child with his high-pitched yelping than a man. It was a sad sight for Gen to witness.

She pulled her gaze back to her dragon. Sensing the teasing look in Emperor's eyes, Gen lowered her fist to her side. "What? Why are you glaring at me like that?"

"Because…" he said, drawing out the word and reaching out and using his claw on the door. Nimbly, and with surprising dexterity, the purple dragon opened the car door, releasing Hamilton Dixon, or more importantly, giving Gen access to the coward.

"Oh!" Gen exclaimed, excitedly, sliding off the side of the car and speeding around the door. "That was easy."

"That's what I'm here for," the dragon said, lifting his wings and creating a wall so that the thief couldn't try and get away. "To teach you about how to use everyday things in this world."

"Thanks," Gen said, reaching into the car and yanking the man out by the collar of his shirt.

"D-D-Don't h-h-hurt meeee!" Hamilton Dixon stammered, shaking and throwing his head back and forth erratically. Gen picked him up easily and shoved him against the side of the car. The man was sweating profusely and was as soft as a feather pillow.

"You're pathetic," Gen said, bearing down on the man. However, when his eyes skirted to something over her shoulder, she knew that Emperor was there, glaring down at Hamilton. The dragon was what was really intimidating with his pensive and electrifying gold eyes.

"I-I-I can't tell you anything," the weakling said, drooling and shivering, his teeth clanging together due to fear.

Knowing that the dragon's imposing form was blocking his escape, Gen released the man and stood back, appraising the sniveling jerk. "He's not lying…"

"No, he's not," Emperor affirmed, narrowing his eyes on the man who was now crying slightly. Gen thought he might have even peed himself. It was simply sad and despicable for a man to be so weak in any day and age. However, it seemed that the modern world created more fragile people. It was strange that all the conveniences had made people feebler rather than given them the opportunity to be stronger.

"Who do you work for?" Gen asked, watching the man's face carefully for the telltale signs of deception.

Hamilton shook his head. "I can't tell you…"

Gen cut her eyes to the dragon. "What's going on? He's telling the truth. Thieves lie."

"That they do," Emperor replied. "But he really isn't allowed to say. There's a spell at work and it makes it so that he can't say the name of the person he is working for. I can't even get to the information in his mind. It's blocked."

Gen balled up her fist, about to punch the car again. However, she thought that the adrenaline had worn off enough that it might actually hurt this time. She turned her attention back on Hamilton Dixon. "Fine, then tell us where you were taking the medieval artifacts. You will know where that is and would have to have instructed your crew."

Tears actually fell down the man's face as he shook all over. "If I tell you that, they'll kill me."

"Who will?" Gen asked.

Hamilton shook his head, crazed. "I can't say. I really can't. But they will kill me if I talk."

"If you don't tell me, then I'll kill you," Gen promised.

"No, I can't…Please…" Hamilton sobbed.

Gen sighed, glancing up at Emperor. "Do you want a snack? You can eat this guy's arms. Or would you rather use mind control to make this joker play in the road? Maybe you can give him a bad headache? Or I could, of course, punch him until he?—"

"No! No! NO!" Hamilton pleaded. "I'll tell you. But you have to let me go. You can't hurt me."

Gen pursed her lips, giving Emperor a tentative expression. "What do you think? I say we hurt him and get him to tell us. Then it's a win-win for me."

"It's better if you can get people to talk without force," Emperor advised wisely. "Save your strength and brutality for when you need it."

Gen sighed, slightly disappointed. "Fine, I won't hurt you. But tell me where they are taking the stolen artifacts. And fast. We have to stop them."

"It's too late," Hamilton Dixon said, pointing down the road. "It's down there at the Warehouse District. The address is 1600 Olympic Boulevard, Suite 100. But they'll either be done unloading by the time you get there or they're heavily armed. You won't stand a chance on your own."

Gen laughed. "For one, we won't be late. We don't have to wait in traffic. And secondly, I don't think you know who I am or what we're capable of."

"Wh-Wh-Who are you?" Hamilton stuttered, still shaking furiously.

Gen smiled up at Emperor. "We're medieval warriors meant to protect the modern world."

"And you're not going to hurt me?" Hamilton asked, looking around for someone to help him but the street where they were was deserted.

"No, a promise is a promise," Gen said, not asking permission and reaching into the man's pockets. He screamed, backing into the car more, but not getting away. It wasn't until Gen reached into his other pocket that she found the electronic device that everyone in the modern era carried around and were obsessed with.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking more offended that she'd taken his device than that she grabbed into his pockets without permission.

"I'm calling you a ride," Gen said, grabbing the man by the shirt again and stuffing him back into the car.

"What?!" he yelled as she slammed the door in his face.

Gen turned to her dragon, a grin on her face. "Two things. Can you tell me how to use this?" She held up the device.

He nodded dully.

"Secondly," she began, pointing at the door. "Can you lock that? I don't want him getting out until the police arrive."

The dragon nodded again and then lifted a clawed hand and smashed it into the side of the car, buckling the metal, making it impossible that it would be opened without tools. Hamilton Dixon would be locked in his wrecked sports car until the authorities were there to throw him in jail.